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y(No Model.) I I B. GU-MBIN-NER.

GARMEN'I.v CLASP AND SUPPORTER.

Patented Nov. 1895..

AN DREW B-GRANAM, PHDTO-LITNWASIIINETUKRQ NiTED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL GUMEINNER, or NEW YORK, NQ Y.

GARMENT CLASP AND SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,224, dated November 19, 1895.. pplication iled May 20, 1895. Serial No. 549,935. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMIL GUMBINNER, a citizen of the United States, :residing at New York,in the State of New York, have invented` new and useful Improvements in Garment Clasps and Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garment clasps and supporters, and is designed especially for use in connection with ladies belts for supporting the skirt; and it has for its object to provide an ornamental combined belt-clasp and skirt-supporter, which belt-clasp is provided with novel means for preventing the wrinkling or sagging of the belt under the weight of the skirt, and which skirt-supporter may, if desired, be concealed from View by an ornamental bar or shield.

To these ends my invention consists in the novel features and in the construction or arrangement of parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claimsfollowing the description, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof, showing it applied to abelt and skirt; and Fig. 3-is a vertical sectional view.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a belt-clasp consisting of an oblong slotted plate, from the upper portion of which depends a central yielding or elastic tongue 2, the free end of which extends nearly to the bottom of the slotted portion of said plate, as shown, and is provided with a projection 3. The projection 3 is preferably formed by bending up and turning under the end of the tongue, as more clearly shown in Fig. 1, the face of the projection being corrugated, milled, or otherwise suitably roughened to forma grasping-surface, as at 4. The tongue 2 is preferably formed integral with the clasp l and is elastic or yielding, so that it will normally lie approximately in the same plane with the oblong plate. The side members of the oblong plate, in connection with central yielding or elastic tongue, engage the belt throughout its transverse section, and the projection at the lower free end of said tongue engages the belt near its lower edge,

' whereby the weight ofv the skirt to be supported is largely taken from the top edge of the belt and borne by the projection of the yielding tongue. In this manner the skirt is neatly supported Without the undesirable and' unsightly wrinkling or sagging of the belt which would occur were the yielding tongue and the projection thereon not provided.

A fastening device 5 for attachment to the skirt or-other apparel is provided, said fastening device consisting of a pin-support projecting laterally in opposite directions from the lower end of the beltclasp l, said support being bent up rearwardly at a right angle at one end, as at 7, and perforated to form a bearing for a fastening-pin 8, which is arranged in rear of said bar, and at its other end is bent u-p rearwardly and laterally inward and provided with turned lips 9 to form a catch adapted to receive and embrace the point of the pin after the manner usual in safety-pins. l

The fixed end of the pin 8 is bent to form a coil 10, and is then bent back parallel with the body of the pin and is inserted through the perforation of the upturned end 7 of the bar 6 and soldered or otherwise iirmly fastened to the rear side of said support.

The belt-clasp l and support 6 of the safetypin are preferably formed integral and are struck up from a blank formed in a single piece, the pin 8 being afterward attached thereto in the manner described.

The pin-support 6 is preferably made in the shape of a bar or shield, as shown, so that when'thel device is attached to a ladys belt jand skirt the fastening for attachment to the skirt is entirely concealed by the said bar or shield, so that the device presents a neat ornamental external appearance.

The device is applied to the belt by slipping the latter under the tongue 2, between the latter and the oblong slotted plate. In applying it to the person the safety-pin is fastened to the top of the skirt and the belt buckled about the waist of the wearer, the pin operating to hold up the skirt snugly beneath the belt in such manner that the skirt cannot slip down and expose the joint between the skirt and the waist, and the belt is at the same time prevented from slipping or working up. The tension of the belt about the waist of the wearer, aided by the elasticity of the tongue 2 and the weight of the TOO' skirt suspended from the pin, presses the tongue into approximately the same plane with the oblon slotted plate of the belt-clasp, causing the projection 3 to slightly protrude through said slotted plate, the rou ghened surface of said projection firmly graspingthe under or inner side of the belt and holding down the lower edge thereof, whereby the belt is held straight and smooth, effectually preventing the weight of the dress from wrinkling or pnckering the same. It is not necessary, however, that the slotted plate should press the belt down upon the projection 3, as the tension of the belt about the waist of the wearer will cause the belt to bear with sufficient pressure against the projection 3 to cause the lat-ter to grasp and hold the belt, the tongue 2 being supported against the back of the wearer, and itis evident that the tighter the belt is adjusted about the waist of the wearer the more firmly will the projection gra-sp and hold it.

It will be apparent that the clasp may be instantly applied to the belt by merely slipping the tongue 2 behind the belt, and it may be so applied either before or after the belt has been placed about the waist of the wearer, thus saving time to the wearer and avoiding the necessity of having to take the belt from the person to attach the combined garment clasp and supporter. If an ordinary beltslide were used the device cannot be attached to the belt unless it be removed from the wearer.

I have shown and described the projection as being formed by bending up and turning under the extremity of the tongue 2, and this is the preferred manner of making it, but it will be evident that said projection may be formed in a number of ways, which would readily suggest themselves to a mechanic, and I therefore wish to be understood as not limiting myself to the described manner of 1naking the projection, nor do I wish to confine myself to a pin for supporting the skirt, as other suitable equivalent means may be employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-` l. The herein described belt clasp and skirt supporter, consisting of a slotted plate to receive a belt, a yielding tongue depending from the upper end of and normally in the same plane with the slotted plate, a projection at the lower, free end of said tongue, and a fastening device carried by said plate for engagement with a skirt, substantially as described.

2. The herein described belt clasp and skirt supporter, consisting of a slotted plate to receive a belt, ayielding tongue depending from the upper end of and normally in the same plane with the slotted plate, a projection at the lower, free end of said tongue, a bar eX- tending laterally from the lower end of said plate, and a fastening device at the rear of and concealed by said bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- IIQSSGS.

EMIL GUAIBINNER. Vitnesses:

VINroN CooMBs, THos. A. GREEN. 

